Izhar Patkin's 'The Wandering Veil'

The Israeli-born artist, who has lived in New York City since 1977, received wide acclaim for his Black Paintings, white ink on black neoprene curtains, after they were exhibited in the ‘80s. He was once a ubiquitous force in the international art scene but Patkin hadn’t shown his work publicly much in the last decade. But this year, he’s back: First with an incredible retrospective at the Tel Aviv Museum, titled The Wandering Veil.

Many rooms are composed of ethereal, symbol-laden images printed on tulle curtains, which have a strong narrative with multiple interpretations and speak to issues of secular and religious importance for Israel as they sway in their ghostlike manner. This exhibit opened this summer and continues through December and will travel next year to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

His provocative work, including his monumental glass sculpture, “The Messiah’s glAss,” can also be seen at New York’s Jewish Museum through November 11. As Patkin recently explained to the New York Times, “I’ve had a very strange career where I’ve kept reimagining myself, making things that don’t stick to expectations of what should come next.”